Monday, 30 January 2012

One might think that what characterises a doom metal act is their focus on downtuned, brutal guitar riffing, (and you would be no mug in making that assumption) but what Pilgrim manage to achieve is a kind of hypnotic suspense, starving you of any vocal before it kicks in to tie all of the loose sludge together. It feels huge, and its artistic restrictions only emphasise a power within their sound.

This reductionist approach is fearfully welcome in an age of crisp, overcooked studio production. Pilgrim labour through each arrangement using their own heads instead of the tools heard through the new gizmos littered on the latest mixing desk, and it attaches an authenticity to their devoted 70s sound. This certainly isn’t for everyone though. Its niche is in downtuned gloomy metal, and its majesty can only be realised through a kind of patience newcomers will need to bargain for.